New to target shooting Bad grouping?

[creatamax]

Hi my names mike i have just baught bsa lighting xl tactical today .22 i shoot left hand but gun feels comfortable even though its right hand, and fitted it with a richter optic 3-9x50 scope took me a while to site in but with it resting quite firm i got my grouping in about a 25cm target but not always spot on though some strays is this good?. but when i rest on something holding the gun my groups are well off can some times get two together but mostly about 2inch apart from about 10meters and 25 meters is the same. Like i say im new to shooting did a little bit when a kid about 10 years ago but just got gun today and fired off about 250-300 shots. Will my grouping get better maybe my gun setup is wrong?. Or when target shooting should you not put the cross hair on target rather offset it abit to compensate for recoil movement or am i being stupid some advise about it all would be much appriciated as alot of you seem like very good shooters reading through the site cheers for now and thanks in advance. mike.

[cinstone]

Hello.

Perhaps we can narrow thing down a bit.

First of all, have you cleaned the bore?

What pellets are you using?

Is the scope set up level on the rifle and have you have set your zero?

Are all the stock screws tight?

Is the scope lose in its mounts or are the mounts lose on the action?

Shooting a spring air rifle consisently accurately at, say more than 25 yards is probably one of the most difficult shooting to do. The Lightning makes this more so as it's quite a harsh rifle when shot and the trigger isn't the best.

If everything seems o.k, then practice, practice and more practice.

Chris.

[DRACO]

Hello.

Perhaps we can narrow thing down a bit.

First of all, have you cleaned the bore?

What pellets are you using?

Is the scope set up level on the rifle and have you have set your zero?

Are all the stock screws tight?

Is the scope lose in its mounts or are the mounts lose on the action?

Shooting a spring air rifle consisently accurately at, say more than 25 yards is probably one of the most difficult shooting to do. The Lightning makes this more so as it's quite a harsh rifle when shot and the trigger isn't the best.

If everything seems o.k, then practice, practice and more practice.

Chris.

Cinstone does all that and he still needs to 'practice, practice and more practice.'

[cinstone]

Not wishing to start an argument, but having a TX 200 helps too, but only a little for me. So there . Ya cheeky mare!

Chris.

[creatamax]

Hi mate thanks for the reply i havent cleaned the barrel how should i go about doing this?

The pellets im using are field target trophy was about £8.90 was told they was good they look well made and clean no imperfections or digs ect.

Havent zero the scope fitted it on the mounts and sighted it on also not sure if level opps will have to read into this on the web unless theres a page on here about it?

But scope is all tight and secure one thing i suppose haha opps .

Wouild have thaught that if these things was wrong then i wouldnt be able to shoot on aim at all but can get a couple on aim still i will set it up properly like youy said and go from there but alot of practice is definetly in order .

I do agree about it being a bit of a harsh shot though have you shot one i take it you have? but i havent shot alot of guns so cant rearly say that but feels abit harsh to me but does look and feel nice haha. thanks for your reply c heers for now mike.

[hwtyger]

Dont rest it quite firm..Loose is the key..

[cinstone]

Yes, I have shot a few and have recently sold one in .177". I have a Supersport that is the harshest thing that I have ever shot. It's the same action apart from the maxigrip scope rail and barrel. I've sort of tuned mine a bit and it's much better, but still a tad harsh.

Your have pm.

Chris.

[Nikkormat]

All good advice so far. As Yana says, a loose hold is essential with a spring powered rifle. Because it kicks while the pellet is still in the barrel, you need to allow the gun to recoil as it pleases. A firm hold won't allow this. Hold it gently. If you're resting it, don't rest the rifle itself but rest your hand, with the rifle gently cradled in your hand.

You're just getting back into shooting, so it will take time to master. I've been shooting for over fifteen years, on and off, and I'm still a crap shot Normal people tend to improve much quicker!

[Chandlers]

Yes, I have shot a few and have recently sold one in .177". I have a Supersport that is the harshest thing that I have ever shot. It's the same action apart from the maxigrip scope rail and barrel. I've sort of tuned mine a bit and it's much better, but still a tad harsh

Sum's it up I think
My friend's got one, and I have to concur with the above.
The consistant hold of a springer is all important, and the Supersport/Lightnings recoil is bound to affect your groups.

[Bryan]

Get yourself to a local club the help from the other members there will be invaluable. They will help check things are in order and give advice on your shooting style etc.

Will save a lot of time.

[Garry]

Have a read of this as well.
http://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2007/...lery-hold.html

[TomChilcott]

Hi,

I, like you, am fairly new to this game. Hardware aside, My biggest improvements came when I practised trigger control and following my shots through.

With trigger control, you need to make sure that you are depressing the trigger straight back. the best way is to use the first pad of your finger (the one under the nail) to squeeze the trigger back along an imaginary line down the centre of the stock. This can be done with the rifle unloaded and uncocked, and a good tip is to have a friend balance a 1 pence piece on top of the end of the barrel while you 'dry fire' (a bipod, bench rest or similar is best for this - one variable at a time and all that!). If you squeeze the trigger other than straight back, the penny will fall off the barrel. Practise until you can consistently keep the penny on the barrel, then move to a 5 pence piece, which is a little harder.

The next big thing for me was follow through; this is where you watch the pellet impact on the target through your optics, with the trigger still depressed, and maintain exactly the same body position throughout the shot. A lot of beginners (myself included) had a jerk reflex when a rifle goes off, (especially if they have experience with rimfire/centrefire rifles), or lift their heads as they squeeze the trigger. This will make you an inaccurate shooter, as your movements can affect the P.O.I. before the pellet even leaves the barrel. As you take a shot on paper (and while out hunting live quarry), try to 'slow everything down', take a deep breath, then half exhale and hold the rest for a few seconds (take your shot within 5 to 7 seconds) and imagine that you can imagine watching the pellet leave the muzzle, travel along it's trajectory, and impact on the target. Maintaining a strong follow through will also enable you to adjust your fire more effectively.

Give these two tips a try, they worked wonders for me, and I've only shot a couple of times since finding them out!